What does it mean to be human? Does work define many of us? How will we cope with a period of under-employment? Can AI root out human bigotry and bias? These are major philosophical issues I’m debating currently, with many of my contacts globally, and most recently in the Middle East.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have become key areas of research and development in the UK, as they are set to transform every corner of our eco-system from our transport, to our social media news feeds, and to the technology we rely on in our homes. However, this emerging technology does not stop there. Research suggests AI will be one of the major trends that will shape our future job market. Whether this is for the good or the bad remains disputed, however one thing is for certain – AI will impact our jobs and our personal lives.

The wide-ranging benefits that AI and ML can produce will impact every global region, every industry sector and every job function. Business and technology leaders across the entire globe are increasingly being faced with the reality of this rapidly accelerating technology innovation that is going to profoundly impact the way they engage with their workforce, and create products and services for their customers. This new phenomenon is creating opportunities with high impact potential and extreme strategic advantage for all shapes and sizes of organisation. It is quickly becoming apparent that those who do not adopt AI will quickly fall behind.

The Middle East is one region, which is adopting AI at the speed of light, and is set to significantly gain across many areas of enterprise – and government. To examine the impact that this development is having on the future of the Middle East, I have visited the region to see, first-hand, the potential of the Middle East to become a leader in artificial intelligence adoption. My company AI in Marketing recently launched another survey to explore the attitudes to AI in the Middle East. Let us know your views here: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/AIbusiness.

During my most recent trips to Oman and Bahrain, I spoke to a range of entrepreneurs about the potential impact AI is likely to have on their business functions as well as the way it will ultimately reshape their everyday lives. The audience consisted of numerous delegates in varying job functions, from general management/CEO positions, sales and marketing, to HR and more technical and operational roles. The sectors they represented ranged from telecoms to banks, construction and real estate, as well as hospitality and even SMEs such as florists. There is both excitement and fear, and a real appetite for change. Above all, there is an acceptance that AI is here to stay and that it will transform the business landscape.

A recent report by PWC reveals that the potential impact of AI in the Middle East is set to hit US$ 320 by 2030. In relative terms, the UAE is expected to see the largest impact of close to 14% of 2030 GDP. In absolute terms, research shows that the largest gains are expected to accrue to the Saudi Arabian economy in 2030. Astonishingly, there is 20-34% expected annual growth in the contribution of AI per year across the Middle Eastern region.

My intense two and three-day training courses shed light on what these figures truly mean for businesses and employers, across all different industry sectors, with case studies from France, Japan, the UK, China and many other countries. The content also covers the Government’s role in AI adoption, taking examples from the UAE, where the Smart Dubai strategy is placing Dubai at the forefront. I have been able to share with the delegates invaluable insights from my recent interviews with world-class experts in this field. This is for the 70,000-word manuscript I’ve just submitted on AI, to be published in January by Kogan Page.

If you want to learn how to adapt your business to thrive, how you can use AI and ML tools to optimise your work, and benefit from the unparalleled insights, we have courses coming up soon. Courses will run in London on the 24th-25th September, Dubai on the 22nd-23rd October, and Riyadh on the 25th-26th October.

Find out more and view the full flyer here: https://bit.ly/2vrHYNO

And here are the latest video-based testimonials – https://www.aiinmarketing.com/